With greater drive and dedication, Ashley Cowan could have been a high quality fast bowler. Cowan had pace, his height allowed him to extract disconcerting bounce out of a pitch, and he could swing the ball away. But he preferred a night out to a net and he never fulfilled his potential. Injuries played their part, too: in 2003 Cowan was forced to undergo major knee surgery, missed the whole season and was never the same again. He did tour the West Indies with England in 1997-98, a selection that owed much to his performance in the NatWest final, then still the county pro's best shop window. Unsurprisingly, he did not appear in a Test, and took only one wicket all tour.
Angus Fraser